


Recognise Me

by RinHaruismyOTP



Series: Wait Patiently [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder, Fluff, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Magic Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-23 23:28:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14343201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinHaruismyOTP/pseuds/RinHaruismyOTP
Summary: Sequel to Bear With Me.Merlin,I’ll be passing through Ealdor in a few days’ time. I want to see you – wear a disguise.





	Recognise Me

_Merlin,_

_I’ll be passing through Ealdor in a few days’ time. I want to see you – wear a disguise._

 

The note was short and unsigned, arriving with a young boy (eager and energetic, far too excited by the prospect of visiting new lands to think of reading that which he’d been tasked to carry), but there was no doubt in Merlin’s mind of who had sent it. It was the first contact he’d had from Arthur since they’d parted just over a year ago, and Merlin’s heart had skipped a beat the first time he’d read it, the suddenness of it all getting the better of him.

Now, he and Gwaine had arrived in Ealdor, stopping off briefly at his mother’s home to greet her and remind her he was alive and well and vice versa before they had to leave for an inn to be cautious. Their disguises were good – they were made from magic, after all – but since the village had learnt of his magic when some of Uther’s men had come looking for him a year previously, getting close to starting a war by the encroachment on Lot’s lands, spending too much time and staying with Hunith could arouse the villagers’ suspicions.

So far there had been no sign of Arthur, no flash of Camelot red. Merlin had spent most of the time pacing holes in the floor, whilst Gwaine sat back and complained he was making _him_ agitated. Eventually, Gwaine swung an arm around Merlin’s back, sighing, and guided him outside and offering him up to the villagers for any errands they needed doing. To keep him occupied, apparently, but Gwaine just sat and sniggered as Merlin was covered in mud tending the pigs.

It was different from their daily life, nowadays, which was mostly focused around the edges of Essetir in case word came from Arthur. Gwaine had taught him to wield a sword, and whilst he was certainly no master swordsman, he could hold his own in a fight, and they’d made a living taking work as it was advertised, most often as bodyguards. Merlin would always check to make sure their clients weren’t fundamentally bad people which lost them more than a few jobs, but Gwaine wouldn’t complain, rather just shrug and move onto the next one. Gwaine had proved himself exceedingly loyal, even if he did take any chance that arose to laugh at Merlin. That, it seemed, would never change, no matter where they were.

He was helping John, the innkeeper, to fix his roof when the sound of building hubbub arose from across the village. Merlin shot a glance at Gwaine, who nodded and went to check it out. Merlin tried to carry on working but was becoming increasingly distracted by the butterflies in his stomach. In the end, John waved him away, an amused smile on his face.

He met Gwaine returning on his way towards the noise. His expression was grim.

“It’s him all right,” he confirmed. “Along with six other knights. Be careful, Merlin.” He gave him a serious look and a pat on the shoulder, sinking into the shadows at the edge of the crowd, over which Merlin could see horses, but none of the faces of the men who had dismounted them. He pushed through the crowd as politely as possible, thankful for his slim stature and bony elbows, until-

“-we won’t be intruding long, I promise, just until our mounts are fed and watered, and perhaps the men too. We won’t impose,” Arthur was saying as the horses were taken away to the stables – no doubt far less kingly than the royal ones.

Merlin had to bite his lip to stop himself from shouting out the prince’s name. He looked so different, after just a year – older, more tired – and Merlin’s heart ached. He wondered how much Arthur had been through: he knew from Gaius’ occasional letters that attacks on him hadn’t exactly slowed down whilst Merlin was gone, but somehow they’d managed. It seemed perhaps to be at the expense of Arthur’s health, and not for the first time Merlin considered returning to Camelot in disguise. It would be reckless, especially considering he often lost hold of the magic whilst he slept and in moments of stress, but if it were to save Arthur’s life, he’d gladly risk his own.

But Arthur wouldn’t. And for now, it seemed they’d been able to deal with their problems, so Merlin distracted himself with his and Gwaine’s work in the meantime.

For now, all Merlin could think of was how to let Arthur know who he was, but that problem was resolved for him a moment later. Arthur turned, and Merlin watched as his eyes widened as they caught his own. A beat passed where Arthur just stared, before a smile was plastered onto his face.

“Friend! I haven’t seen you in years!” he boomed, wrapping an arm around Merlin and pulling him close. Merlin’s breath hitched as Arthur put his mouth by his ear. “What are you calling yourself?” he asked under his breath.

“Michael,” Merlin whispered, and Arthur pulled away.

“I can’t believe it’s been so long, Michael,” Arthur said with a grin, and Merlin smiled back nervously, aware of the villagers muttering about his relationship with the prince.

“It’s been forever,” Merlin agreed, and Arthur let out an exaggerated laugh.

“Well we must catch up! Where are you staying?”

Merlin showed him to the inn, and at the door Arthur waved off his knights, who looked uncertain but obeyed. As soon as they were inside the room in which Merlin and Gwaine were staying, Arthur turned, closed the door and pressed Merlin up against it.

For a second, Merlin thought Arthur would kiss him, but instead he slumped over, head on Merlin’s shoulder and arms coming up around him. Merlin felt his glamour slip away as he hesitantly brought his own arms up to encircle the prince.

“Merlin,” Arthur breathed into his shoulder, before taking a deep breath.

Merlin’s mind blanked. “Are you- are you _smelling_ me?” he asked, bewildered, and Arthur laughed unrestrainedly, eyes glinting as his head came up to meet his gaze.

“Maybe I am,” he admitted. “Is that seriously the first thing you have to say to me?”

“Er,” Merlin tried to start his brain. His eyes widened. “No! Why are you here? How did you know who I was? Is this even safe?”

Arthur brushed Merlin’s hair – which had grown considerably in the past year – out of his eyes and smiled. “It’s safe, none of the knights I brought with me even remember what you look like, we’re here on a secret quest.” Merlin raised his eyebrow, to say, _yeah, certainly sounds secret_. “As for recognising you, your eyes always stay the same, no matter how your body changes – it’s a miracle I never realised that old sorcerer was you, you know,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“Finally figured that out, did you?” Merlin asked wryly, but Arthur didn’t react, just kept on smiling.

“I’ve missed you, you know,” he confessed, and Merlin looked away, embarrassed by what he knew would be flushed cheeks.

“What happened to bad at emotions?” he said gruffly.

“I had some time to think about them,” came the reply, and Merlin couldn’t help but look back.

“And?” he prompted, and it was Arthur’s turn to blush.

“And…are you still waiting for me? I- I understand if not, if you’ve met someone…” Arthur trailed off, and Merlin, somewhat exasperated, brought his hand to Arthur’s cheek, angling it up to make up for their slight height difference.

“I said I would wait, didn’t I?” he reminded him, and received a dazzling grin in return.

“You did, didn’t you?” Arthur echoed, eyes darting down and up from Merlin’s lips.

Merlin sighed. “Prat,” he said, and kissed him.

Unlike their last kiss, this was deep and languid, a comfort more than anything else – they were alive, both of them unharmed, and their feelings were still the same, if not deeper. Merlin buried his hands in Arthur’s hair, moaning at the feel of his tongue brushing over his own.

When they finally pulled away, Arthur sighed. “When I told them we weren’t staying long here, I wasn’t lying. We should stop this for now,” he said, and Merlin would be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed. Arthur moved across the room and collapsed down on his back on Merlin’s bed, patting the space beside him for Merlin to do the same.

“You look tired,” Merlin said after a moment of silence, staring up at the roof.

“Comes with being the crown prince,” said Arthur, and Merlin thought he might detect a hint of bitterness there.

“And with all the attacks on your life, you mean?” Merlin prompted, and Arthur groaned.

“I don’t understand how you could stand it! There are so many of them, I swear I’ll never get a proper night’s sleep again in my life! I think I’ve started sleeping with my eyes open,” he rambled, and Merlin smiled at him.

“Maybe you could if you let me return,” he said, and thought perhaps he should regret saying it a moment later when Arthur hadn’t said anything, but didn’t.

But Arthur- “I wish you could,” he said finally. “I wish that more than just about anything. But I won’t do anything to put you in danger, Merlin. I can’t.”

Merlin shrugged. “It was worth a try, I guess.”

A beat, and then- “Tell me about your year,” Arthur demanded.

Merlin rolled his eyes. “Yes _sire_ ,” he complied. He told him about his sword training, about the brief visits to Ealdor now and then as Michael or one of another few disguises. Arthur laughed at the story of when Gwaine flirted with a married baroness and the two of them had to run for their lives from a jealous madman and groaned when he told him of the time Merlin had eaten something that disagreed with him and couldn’t go out for days. In return, Merlin was caught up with the court gossip that had made its way to Arthur and told of various foes, magical and non-magical, whose plots Arthur and Gaius had managed to foil. The mood soured at the mention of the king.

“He’s getting more paranoid,” Arthur said anxiously. “He tries to watch everyone, and sees magic where there is none, treachery where there is only loyalty. He can’t keep it up.”

Merlin was quiet. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry you have to watch your father act like that.”

Arthur took a deep breath. “I know I shouldn’t say this, but I can’t help but feel it would be better if he died.” Merlin didn’t say anything, so he carried on. “As it is, he’s hardly living at all, and it’s affecting everyone around him. People are dying needlessly. And then there’s you.” He met Merlin’s eye. “You worked only to save Camelot and her people. And _me_. And yet, you and people like you get no chance to say that, no fair trial, no freedom. I promise, Merlin, it won’t be the same when I’m king.”

Merlin took his hand. “I look forward to that future,” he said simply, and for a while they lay there, hands clasped, murmuring ideas for Camelot’s future to each other.

When the knock came at the door, Arthur cursed and sat up. “Sire, we must leave if we are to make headway before nightfall,” came the voice of one of his knights.

“I’m coming, give me a minute,” Arthur called back. He turned to Merlin, who sat up. “Be safe. Don’t do anything reckless.”

Merlin grinned. “Me? Reckless? Never.” Arthur groaned.

“You’re not exactly filling me with confidence,” he drawled, and Merlin laughed, leaning in and pecking him on the lips. He pulled back, but Arthur followed bringing him in for a more _lingering_ kiss.

“Tease,” Merlin muttered, and Arthur just shook his head fondly, standing.

“You should probably stay here. The knights will talk if you come to see me off.”

Merlin nodded. “Try not to die,” he said in farewell, and Arthur beamed.

“You too,” he said, and left.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So this is going to be a 3-part series, it turns out. Woo!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this! Feedback is always welcome, and please do tell me if you spot a mistake! :D


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